From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the album. For the musical style, see
Vocalese .
1985 studio album by The Manhattan Transfer
Vocalese is the ninth
studio album by
Jazz band
The Manhattan Transfer , released in 1985 on the
Atlantic Records . Recording sessions took place during 1985. Production came from
Tim Hauser and Martin Fischer. This album is considered to be The Manhattan Transfer's most critically acclaimed album. It received 12 Grammy nominations, making it second only to
Michael Jackson 's
Thriller as the most nominated individual album. It also received extremely high ratings from music critics, including a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating from
Allmusic . The album peaked at number 2 on the
Top Jazz Albums and number 74 on the
Billboard 200 . The album's title Vocalese refers to a style of music that sets lyrics to previously recorded jazz instrumental pieces. The vocals then reproduce the sound and feel of the original instrumentation.
Jon Hendricks , proficient in this art, composed all of the lyrics for this album.
Critical reception
Awards
This album earned the group
Grammy Awards for:
It also earned
Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male for
Bobby McFerrin and
Jon Hendricks for "Another Night In Tunisia".
Track listing
"That's Killer Joe" (
Benny Golson ,
Jon Hendricks ) – 5:02
"Rambo" (
J J Johnson , Jon Hendricks) – 3:19
"
Airegin " (
Sonny Rollins ) – 3:19
"To You" (
Thad Jones ) – 3:53
"Meet
Benny Bailey " (
Quincy Jones , Jon Hendricks) – 3:29
"Another Night in Tunisia" (
Dizzy Gillespie , Jon Hendricks, Frank Paparelli) – 4:12
"Ray's Rockhouse" (
Ray Charles , Jon Hendricks) – 5:06
"Blee Blop Blues" (
Count Basie -
Jon Hendricks ) – 3:01
"
Oh Yes, I Remember Clifford " (Benny Golson, Jon Hendricks) – 3:45
"
Sing Joy Spring " (
Clifford Brown , Jon Hendricks) – 7:07
"Move" (
Denzil Best , Jon Hendricks) – 2:49
Personnel
[2]
The Manhattan Transfer
Cheryl Bentyne – vocals, soloist (1–3, 5, 8), arrangements (6)
Tim Hauser – vocals, soloist (1, 3, 10, 11), arrangements (1)
Alan Paul – vocals, soloist (1-4, 9), vocal arrangements (5, 7)
Janis Siegel – vocals, soloist (1–3, 8, 10, 11), vocal arrangements (1–3, 8, 10)
Musicians and Guests
Yaron Gershovsky – synthesizers (1), arrangements (1), acoustic piano (2, 3, 5), vocal arrangements (5)
Casey Young – synthesizer programming (1)
Tommy Flanagan – acoustic piano (4)
John Barnes – synthesizers (7),
Yamaha TX816 (7),
Fairlight CMI (7),
Synclavier (7),
vocoder (7),
Linn 9000 (7), arrangements (7)
Craig Harris – synthesizer voice (7), programming (7), vocoder programming (7),
sampling (7)
McCoy Tyner – acoustic piano (9)
Walter Davis, Jr. – acoustic piano (10)
Dick Hindman – acoustic piano (11)
Wayne Johnson – guitars (1, 3, 5),
banjo (5)
Freddie Green – guitars (2, 8)
Ray Brown – bass (2, 8)
Alex Blake – bass (3, 5)
Richard Davis – bass (4)
Ron Carter – bass (9)
John Patitucci – bass (10)
Marshall Hawkins – bass (11)
John Robinson – drums (1)
Grady Tate – drums (2, 8, 9)
Ralph Humphrey – drums (3, 5, 10, 11)
Philly Joe Jones – drums (4)
Eric Dixon – saxophone (2, 7)
Danny House – saxophone (2)
Kenny Hing – saxophone (2, 8)
Marshal Royal – saxophone (2, 8)
Johnny Williams – saxophone (2, 8)
Don Roberts – baritone saxophone (5, 11), tenor saxophone (9)
James Moody – tenor sax solo (5)
Danny Turner – saxophone (8)
Richie Cole – alto sax solo (11)
Clarence Banks – trombone (2, 8)
Bill Hughes – trombone (2, 8)
Charles Loper – trombone (2, 8)
Mel Wanzo – trombone (2, 8)
Dennis Wilson – arrangements and conductor (2, 8), trombone (9)
Sonny Cohn – trumpet (2, 8)
Johnny Coles – trumpet (2, 8)
Bob Ojeda – trumpet (2)
Byron Stripling – trumpet (2, 8)
Snooky Young – trumpet (8)
Dizzy Gillespie – trumpet solo (10)
The Count Basie Orchestra – orchestra (2, 8)
Thad Jones – music supervisor (2, 8)
Dick Reynolds – arrangements (4, 11)
Phil Mattson – vocal arrangements (9)
The Four Freshmen: Mike Beisner, Bob Flanagan, Autie Goodman and Rod Henley – additional backing vocals (4)
Bobby McFerrin – bass vocal (6), vocal percussion (6), vocals (6), vocal arrangements (6)
Jon Hendricks – additional backing vocals (6), vocal soloist (7)
Production
Producers – Tim Hauser and Martin Fischer
Recorded and Mixed by
Elliot Scheiner
Additional Engineers – Craig Harris, Gary Ladinsky and
Brian Malouf .
Assistant Engineers – Gene Curtis, Dan Garcia, Steve Katayama, Steve MacMillan, Dan Matovina, Tom Size and Jay Willis.
Mixed at Sound Labs Hollywood (Hollywood, CA).
Mastered by
Bernie Grundman at
Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, CA).
Musical Director – Bud Schaetzle
Album Coordination – Ivy Skoff
Publishing Coordination – Sue Yahm
Art Direction – Fayette Hauser and Nels Israelson
Photography – Nels Israelson
Management – Brian Avnet
Charts
[3]
US Billboard 200 – 74
US Jazz Albums (Billboard ) – 2
References
External links
Studio albums Live albums Compilation albums Singles
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, except where noted.
Albums as leader or co-leader With
Pepper Adams With
Kenny Burrell With
John Coltrane With
Art Farmer With
Ella Fitzgerald With
Curtis Fuller With
Coleman Hawkins With
Milt Jackson With
J.J. Johnson With
Sonny Rollins With others
Tentets (
Franco Ambrosetti , 1985)
Boss Tenor (
Gene Ammons , 1960)
Big Brass (
Benny Bailey , 1960)
Bash! (
Dave Bailey , 1961)
Who Is Gary Burton? (
Gary Burton , 1962)
Jazz Lab (
Donald Byrd , 1957)
Carter, Gillespie Inc. (
Benny Carter and
Dizzy Gillespie , 1976)
Paul Chambers Quintet (1957)
More Party Time (
Arnett Cobb , 1960)
Movin' Right Along (Arnett Cobb, 1960)
Rhythm in Mind (
Steve Coleman , 1991)
Sonny's Dream (Birth of the New Cool) (
Sonny Criss , 1968)
Straight Ahead (Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, 1976)
Collectors' Items (
Miles Davis , 1956)
Quiet Kenny (
Kenny Dorham , 1959)
The Kenny Dorham Memorial Album (1960 [1976])
Opening Remarks (
Ted Dunbar , 1978)
Patented by Edison (
Harry "Sweets" Edison , 1960)
The Book Cooks (
Booker Ervin , 1960)
The Song Book (Booker Ervin, 1964)
Chromatic Palette (
Tal Farlow , 1981)
The Dizzy Gillespie Big 7 (1975)
Gettin' with It (
Benny Golson , 1959)
Free (Benny Golson, 1962)
The Panther! (
Dexter Gordon , 1970)
The Swingin'est (
Bennie Green and Gene Ammons, 1958)
Grey's Mood (
Al Grey , 1973–75)
It's About Time (
Jimmy Hamilton , 1961)
Can't Help Swinging (Jimmy Hamilton, 1961)
Drum Suite (
Slide Hampton , 1962)
Out of the Afternoon (
Roy Haynes and
Roland Kirk , 1962)
Really Big! (
Jimmy Heath , 1960)
New Picture (Jimmy Heath, 1985)
Porgy & Bess (
Joe Henderson , released 1997)
The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard (1962)
Mirage (
Bobby Hutcherson , 1991)
Bossa Nova Plus (
Willis Jackson , 1962)
Desert Winds (
Illinois Jacquet , 1962)
Budd Johnson and the Four Brass Giants (1960)
Let's Swing! (
Budd Johnson , 1960)
Heart to Heart (
Elvin Jones , 1980)
Blues for Dracula (
Philly Joe Jones , 1958)
Detroit – New York Junction (
Thad Jones , 1956)
Mad Thad (Thad Jones, 1956–57)
A Story Tale (
Clifford Jordan and
Sonny Red , 1961)
The Adventurer (Clifford Jordan, 1978)
Booker Little 4 and Max Roach (1958)
Booker Little (1960)
Vocalese (
The Manhattan Transfer , 1985)
Flute Flight (
Herbie Mann and
Bobby Jaspar , 1957)
Flute Soufflé (Herbie Mann and Bobby Jaspar, 1957)
Dusty Blue (
Howard McGhee , 1960)
Reincarnation of a Lovebird (
Charles Mingus , 1960)
De Lawd's Blues (
Billy Mitchell , 1980)
Smooth as the Wind (
Blue Mitchell , 1960–61)
The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (1960)
Jeru (
Gerry Mulligan , 1962)
Jive at Five (
Joe Newman , 1960)
Good 'n' Groovy (Joe Newman with
Frank Foster , 1960)
Joe's Hap'nin's (Joe Newman, 1961)
Straight Life (
Art Pepper , 1979)
The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi (1956)
Limbo Carnival (
Dave Pike , 1962)
Dave Pike Plays the Jazz Version of Oliver! (Dave Pike, 1962)
Pony's Express (
Pony Poindexter , 1962)
Keep Swingin' (
Julian Priester , 1960)
Wisteria (
Jimmy Raney , 1985)
Swingin' with Pee Wee (
Pee Wee Russell , 1960)
Stable Mates (
A. K. Salim , 1957)
Here Comes Louis Smith (
Louis Smith , 1958)
Roots (
Idrees Sulieman , 1957)
Tate-a-Tate (
Buddy Tate , 1960)
Color Changes (
Clark Terry , 1960)
Lucky Thompson Plays Happy Days Are Here Again (1965)
Stan "The Man" Turrentine (1960)
ZT's Blues (
Stanley Turrentine , 1961)
The Frank Wess Quartet (1960)
Southern Comfort (
Frank Wess , 1962)
California Soul (
Gerald Wilson , 1968)
Pairing Off (
Phil Woods , 1956)
Rights of Swing (Phil Woods, 1961)